The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between November 1, 2015, and October 31, 2016 (see FAQ for exceptions), are automatically nominated for the 2016 Kirkus Prize, and the winners will be selected on November 3, 2016, by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

KIRKUS REVIEW

“Who eats worms for lunch?” Readers will have to wait until the end to find out. While a worried-looking worm looks on, Mouse rather gleefully shouts, “Not me!” A turn of the die-cut gatefold reveals that Mouse much prefers a large chunk of cheese. But look out, Mouse—you may be on the menu for the cat…or perhaps she would prefer a bowl of milk. Gore continues in this manner, linking one page to the next so the story flows from mouse and cat, to cow, chick, bee, girl, pelican and, finally, to the fish that would love to devour those worms. The artwork is well suited to both larger audiences and smaller children, with big characters, a spare background and simple details to keep the focus on the lunch choices. Bright colors and amusing facial expressions add to the humor inherent in any exercise of matching creature to foodstuff. Textures given to the acrylic paints in their application give the animals a hint of three-dimensionality while also allowing readers to guess what they might feel like. Sure to be a popular choice for storytimes, with its short sentences and simple vocabulary, this is also a solid choice for beginning readers. (Picture book. 3-7)

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